Vehicle hoist



0. B. JEFFERS Aug. 1, 1950 VEHICLE HOIST 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26,1946 I if g (Q l 1 I I INVENTOR. Z gurmfic/fifms ATTORNEY.

Aug. 1, 1950 o. B. JEFFERS VEHICLE HOIST Filed Aug. 26, 1946 sSheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 1, 1950 o. B. JEFFERS 7,

VEHICLEHOIST Filed Aug. 26, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 5 6 6 -B VOL /59 5f (fa/ms Patented Aug. 1, 1950 ear-stir A {OFFICE vlnniotn nors'r Qliver EB.:Ieffers; Wichita, Kane. Assamese aagastzs, 194:6,Se1ial!N0al693,027i

My invention relates to an improvementflin Vehicle hoists. The object ofmy invention is to provide a hoist of the kind mentioned that isinexpensive to build, one that is strong and durable, one that is simple.and easy to. operate, one that embodies a safety means that willprevent any possibility of dropping a vehicle after it has been hoisted,one that is open so thatthere is nopossibility of catching opened'dborsor-other part of the vehicle as it is being. raised by the hoist. Theseand other objects will be more fully described as this descriptionprogresses,

Now referring tojtheacconipanying drawingsin which similar numerals ofreferenceflesignatethe same parts throughout the several figures of thedrawings;

Fig. 1 ha side view of the-hoist.

Fig. 2 is a detail side and sectional view of the hoist, the view beingtaken along the line Il -II in Fig. 3 and looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Fig. is a top plan view of the hoist.

Fig. 4 is an end View of the hoist. r p

5 is an enlarged-detail side view ofthe driving mechanism for thehoist,the View being takenalong the line lk-Vin Fig. 3 and looking in thedirection of the arrows. 1

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail side view of. one "of the corner standardsof the hoist, the view being taken along the line VIVI- in-Fig; andlooking in the direction of'the arrows-L Fig, 7 is an enlarged detailsectional-view of the hoist, the view being takenalongthe line ViI-VIIin "Fig. 3 and looking" in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail planwiwofione of the corner partsthe viewbeing taken along the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7. l i

Fig. 9 is a rear view of one of the rack supporting standards andshowing a modified form 2 Claims; (01254- 144) of its mounting on theconcrete'baseof the-device,

the concrete being shown in seotion for clearness of the illustration.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the portion of the device shown in Fig. 9. i

In the drawings the hoist is shown as having a concrete floor as baseportion l-b ihthe central portion of which is formed ashall'ow pit H inwhich is located a power unit pref erablyjan-e1ectrio motor H2. Themotor itisyprdvided with a I rotatable drive shaft E3 on which isrigidly mounted a driving worm i i thatis inxmesh with a. wornigear itthat is rigidly mounted on a shaft it: the central portion of" which isrevolva'bly carried in bearings i! and iB,,located'oneion either sideof. the worm gear l5 and beingrigidly carried onthe concrete floor ofthe pit H. The outer ends of the shaft IB-are. carried in bearings is.andtilthat are rigidly, mountedon the concrete. base it. The concretebase II! is greeted asat .21 .and. the shaft 16" positioned therein andbelow the surface ofthe'base Hi. Each end of theshaft i6 is providedwith threeguide disks that are spacedapart and are rigidly attached tothe. shaft :6, thisstructure comprises a. device commonlyknownasayvinch. In the spaces be.- tween the guide .piatesZZ are positionedone end of four cables,23, 24, 25 and zfi; each of which are rigidlyattached .to the shaft in and are adapted tobe wrappedthereonfforpulling purposes as will later be described;

. At eachcorner oithe. base iii is positioned a standard 211128;29 and3D,.the bottom portion of which is set.inthe concrete as a rigidmounting for'the standard. Each standard 21; 28, 29 and ililf, is.provided withtwo. brace elements 2M and the lower ends of which arebolted to-the base I!) andthe upperends of which are preferably weldedto the top or upper portion of their respective standard*2"i,28,ZQor'fiE; As shown in Figures 9 and,10,the lowerend of the standards22?,28, 2s and 3% are each welded to a plate33 that rest on and arebolted to thebase l0, and the-lower ends of the braces 3!! and 32are-welded to the plate 33. I

Revolvably' attached to the lower portion of each standard 21, 2B;29and3il is a pulley 3d, 35, 35 and t'igandrevolvably mounted onthe topof each standard 21, 28; 29 and3fl is another policy as; as; wand 41; ir i Lying between the standards 21, 2B, 29" and-30 is'a hoisting framethat is-composed of the cross members'z and E3, on which restsand arerigidly attached thereto a pair of parallel and spaced apart hoistmembersM and 45. Loopedor U- shaped members 46,41,48-and fll arepositioned one around each tandard fi, 2.8, mandala; and the ends orlegs of the U-shaped elements are rigidly attached, preferably Welded,to their respective cross member 42, or &3 Between the legs of eachU-shaped member 46pm, and '49, and between the ends of the cross members42 and as, and the standards 21; 2a, 2a and so is revolvably mounted aroller such as shownat 5i], and each roller 5i) engages and rollsagainst its respective standard 21,28, '29 or 30 to act as a uide forthe hoisting frame as it is raised and lowered between thestandardsZ-i', 2B, 29 andfltiii.

One end of the cable 23 is rigidly attached-rte one end ofthe crossmeniber 42 and exten'dsiupwardly and over the pulley 38 and thencedownwardly and under the pulley 34, thence to and attached to the shaftH at a point intermediate the two outside disks 22; similarly, one endof the cable .24 is rigidly connected to one end of the cross member 43and extends upwardly therefrom and thence over the pulley 4| and thencedownwardly and under the pulley 31 and thence to and rigidly connectedto the shaft H5 at a point intermediate the two inside disks 22; also,one end of the cable 25 is rigidly connected to the other end of thecross member 42 and extends upwardly therefrom and over the pulley 39and thence downwardly and under the pulley 35 and to and is rigidlyconnected to the other end of the shaft l6 at a point intermediate thetwo outside disks 22; and similarly, one end of the cable 26 is rigidlyconnected to the other end of the cross member 43 and extends upwardlytherefrom and over the pulley Ml thence downwardly and under the pulley3B and to and is rigidly attached to the end of the shaft is at a pointintermediate the two inside disks 22.

A shaft 5| is revolvably carried in bearings, not shown, on the bottomside of the cross members 42 and 43, and one end of the shaft 5| 1S bentto form a crank 52 by which the shaft 5| may be revolved as and for thepurposes that will later be described. Rigidly attached to each end ofthe shaft 5! is one of a pair of lever bars 53 and 54 the ends of whichextend equidistant on opposite sides of the shaft 5i. To correspondingends of the bars 53 and 54 is pivotally connected one end of rods 55,55a, and 5E and 55a, and the other end of the rods 55, 55a, and 56 and55a are each connected to the inner end of latch bars 51, 58, 59 and 60,each of which are slidably carried in bearing elements El, 62, 63, and64. The outer end of each bar 51, 58, 59 and 5D is bevelled as shown at65 and the outer end of each latch bar 51, 58, 59 and 68 bears againstits respective standard 21, 23, 29 and 30 under pressure provided by aspring 86, one end of which is connected to one of the bearing blocks BIand the other end of the Spring 66 is connected to the rod 56. Eachstandard 21, 28, 29 and 38 is provided with a series of holes 61 thatare spaced apart equally apart up the face of each standard 21, 23, 29and 3B and in alignment with the latch bars 51, 53, 59 and El! in theirvertical movement as the hoisting frame 42-43 -4445 raises the latchbars 57, 58, 59 and EU will slide into the holes 61 and ratchet from oneto the other as a positive means of holding the frame 42-43-4445 in anyof its elevated positions independent of the cables 23, 24, 25 and 26.

The upper edge or corner of the pit and grooves in which the motor [2,drive mechanism l5, shaft l6, and cables 23, 24, 25 and 26 are made inthe form of a countersunk ledge 68 on which cover plates 69 aresupported.

ll'he power unit, preferably an electric motor I2, is a standardreversible electric motor and may be operated by any standard reversincontrol switch which is not shown. The operation of the device is asfollows.

To hoist a vehicle the vehicle is rolled onto the platform or base Inwith the wheels of the vehicle astraddle the two frame members 44 and45. This having been done, the electric motor i2 is started, whereuponthe worm I4 drives the worm gear l5 to revolve the shaft I5, whereuponthe cables 23, 24, 25 and 25 will be wound around the ends of the shaftto pull the outer ends thereof to raise the 1 015 frame 42-43-44-45 toan elevated position such as indicated by the dotted lines 451:, and asthe frame 42-434445 raises the longitudinal members 44 and 45 thereof,will engage the axle members of the vehicle and thereby raise thevehicle to an elevated position so that the under parts of the vehicleare easily accessible for greasing purposes or to be worked on.

As the hoist frame 424344-45 raises, the outer ends of the latch bars 50will ratchet in and out of the holes 61 to finally be seated in one ofthe holes 6'! when the frame 42-434445 is no longer being raised and thelatch bars 55 will then function to support the frame 4243 4445 when themotor i2 is stopped. This is a safety measure in case the load on theframe 42434445 is enough to revolve the worm gear l5 and worm and motor|4l2 in the reverse direction to lower the frame 42--4344-- 45, or toprevent the falling of the frame 4243- 4445, in case of damage orbreakage of one or more of the cables 23, 24, 25 or 26.

Now to lower the frame 42-43-44-45 the crank 52 may be rocked to turnthe lever bars 53 and 54 to the position shown in Fig. 7, whereupon thelatch bars 50 will be held from engagement with the standards 21, 28, 29and 30. This having been done the motor [2 may be started in the reversedirection, whereupon the frame 42434445 will be lowered until thevehicle is carried by its wheels on the platform or base It at whichtime the vehicle may be rolled from the hoist and the hoist is thenready for use in raising another vehicle in the manner as abovedescribed.

Such modifications of my invention may be employed as lie within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit andintention of the invention. Now having fully shown and described myinvention, what I claim is:

1. In a vehicle hoisting device of the kind described; said devicecomprising, in combination, four posts arranged, one at each corner of arectangular base element, each of said posts being rigidly attached toa, bearing plate and having a pair of guy rods therefor, the upper endsof said pairs of guy rods being rigidly attached to the upper end oftheir respective post and the lower ends of each pair of guy rods beingrigidly attached to the bearing plate of their respective post at apoint outside the rectangle defined by the said posts, each of saidposts having a pulley at the top and bottom thereof, the pulleys at thebottom of said posts extending below the said bearing plates of theposts, four cables and a winding device for receiving said cablesthereon, said winding device being positioned within the rectangledefined by said posts and below the bottom of said posts, and means forcovering said winding means, a vehicle hoisting element, said vehiclehoisting element having spaced apart elements thereon for engaging andlifting the axle elements of a vehicle, and supporting cross membersbeneath and at the ends of said spaced apart elements, and means on theends of said cross members passing around their respective adjacent postdefining the said rectangle as a guide and stabilizing means for thesaid vehicle hoisting element, said winding device having a shaftrevolvably carried in bearings and being positioned between the pairs ofposts at each end of the aforementioned rectangle, and controlled powermeans for rotatably driving sa d shaft ineither direction, one end ofeach of said cables being attached, one to each end of said crossmembers, the other ends of said cables being attached to each end ofsaid revolvable shaft, and plural ratchet latch means carried, one onthe outer end of each of said cross members, each of said latch meansbeing spring actuated to engage in openings in their respective adjacentafore mentioned post, as the hoisting element rises, as a safetysupporting means for the elevated adjusted positions of said hoistingelement, and manually operated means for simultaneously disengaging saidratchet elements from said posts.

2. In a vehicle hoisting device of the kind described; the combinationdefined in claim 1, said combination being further characterized by theratchet elements being bevel ended rods, the bevel portion of each ofsaid rods being engagable with the portions of material of said postsimmediately above the afore mentioned openings in said posts to move therods from said openings as the vehicle elevating element moves upwardly,and spring means connected with said rods to move the beveled rod endsinto the next succeeding opening in said posts as the vehicle hoistingdevice moves upwardly and so on to the top of the posts, a second shaft,said second shaft being revolvably carried in bearings carried at themidportion of the said cross members, a crank on said 6 shaft, and apair of cantilevers rigidly mounted on said shaft, the other end of eachof the said. bevel ended rods being pivotally connected, one to each endof the said cantilevers so that upon the turning of the second saidshaft the said bevel ended rods will be withdrawn from engagement withthe said corner posts, said spring means for moving the said bevel endedrods being a tension spring, one end of said spring being connected toone of the said bevel ended rods and the other end of the spring beingconnected to a cross member of the structure and being so tensioned asto move the bevel ends of the said rods toward the said corner posts.

OLIVER B. JEFFERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,437,967 Fitch Dec. 5, 19221,545,426 Hofimann July 7, 1925 1,571,178 Donovan Feb. 2, 1926 1,673,864Chapman June 19, 1928 1,771,054 McConnell July 22, 1930

